NEWS
‘No Health Worker is Safe’ – Katsina Nurses Threatens Strike Over Insecurity
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The Katsina State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwifery (NANNM) has threatened to withdraw its members from hospitals in frontline Local Government Areas (LGAs) over the state government’s alleged failure to address pressing security and welfare issues.
In a press briefing on Tuesday at the NANNM office in Katsina, the Council Chairman, Nura Mu’azu, announced that the association would embark on a two-day warning strike starting Thursday, January 30, 2025.
If their demands remain unmet, an indefinite strike and withdrawal of services in high-risk areas will follow.
READ ALSO: Again Terrorists Overrun Borno Military Base, Kill Commander, 19 Others
The affected LGAs include Batsari, Funtua, Malumfashi, Kankara, Kurfi, Danmusa, and Jibia.
The association’s decision follows the abduction of one of its members, Mr. Yusuf Mohammed Mairuwa, a senior nurse at General Hospital Kankara, who was kidnapped on January 15, 2025, while on duty.
Mairuwa and other health workers were taken by gunmen to an unknown location, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
“Mairuwa was patriotically on duty, saving lives, caring for the sick, and providing leadership when he was taken at gunpoint,” Mu’azu said.
“He is a family man with a wife and children whose future has been abruptly truncated. This has aggravated fears among health workers in vulnerable areas, proving that no one is safe, despite our sacrifices to society and humanity.”
Mu’azu highlighted previous incidents involving health workers, including the killing of Mr. Murtala Isah Safana at General Hospital Dutsin-ma in 2022, the permanent injury of Mr. Hamza Saleh in a roadside attack, and the abduction of the wife of another health worker at General Hospital Kurfi in November 2024.
“These cases have left scars that are yet to heal,” Mu’azu said. “The attack in Kankara is just another reminder of the danger we face daily in the line of duty. How can we continue to work under these conditions?”
NANNM revealed it had written to the Katsina State Government on January 15, 2025, demanding urgent security measures in hospitals, especially in vulnerable LGAs.
While the government promised action within three to seven days, no significant steps have been taken as the two-week deadline expires.
The association outlined its demands, including: Immediate security measures to protect hospitals in frontline areas, Safe release of Mr. Mairuwa and other captives, Compensation for health workers who have suffered losses due to insecurity and Better remuneration to attract and retain healthcare professionals.
Mu’azu expressed frustration over the government’s inaction. “General Hospital Kankara is the second hospital to be attacked after General Hospital Kurfi. Health workers have been left on their own while on duty. We can’t take this lightly anymore,” he said.
The association also decried the low hazard allowance of N5,000 and poor salaries, which have led to mass resignations of healthcare workers.
“Many health workers are leaving the state for better opportunities elsewhere. How can anyone be expected to work under these conditions?”
Mu’azu revealed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N270 million for Mairuwa and an equal sum for the other captives.
“Where can his innocent family get this kind of money? Many families are already struggling to put food on the table,” he said.
He added, “The public must understand that this is not just about salaries but about survival. We cannot continue to risk our lives in a system that does not prioritize our safety.”
While acknowledging the government’s investment in security and healthcare infrastructure, Mu’azu urged them to do more. “One must be alive to save others. Insecurity is the biggest threat to humanity and human development today,” he said.
The association appealed to the public to support their demands, emphasizing that their strike is a last resort. “This decision is painful, but it is necessary. We plead with the public to bear with us and help us prevail on the government to act.”
If the government fails to meet their demands, NANNM will withdraw its members from the affected hospitals starting midnight on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The decision threatens to disrupt healthcare services in some of Katsina State’s most vulnerable areas.
“The safety of healthcare workers must be prioritized,” Mu’azu concluded. “Without it, there can be no healthcare delivery.”
NEWS
BREAKING: Kyari Rubishes Fuel Quality Talks As Mere Drama, Bad Marketing Antics
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. . . Insists NNPC Ltd Didn’t Import Products This Year
. . . Says Importation A Standard Industry Practice Worldwide
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari has flayed talks about the existence of sub-standard fuel in Nigeria, describing it as unfortunate drama and bad marketing practice.
Kyari, who was speaking while fielding questions at a fireside chat during the 60th Nigeria Mining & Geosciences Society (NMGS) Conference in Abuja said the NNPC Ltd, and indeed the country does not have any issues of quality in the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol across the country.
“The talk around fuel quality is unfortunate and a very bad marketing practice. It’s all drama and entertainment and as we know, drama has a way of entertaining the people,” Kyari stated.
ALSO READ: Atiku Bombs Tinubu Over Violence In Osun State
He said Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has quality standards which are obtainable in every country and there are no two countries that have the same standards.
Citing an example, Kyari said in Europe, oxygenate (a fuel additive) has to be introduced into PMS otherwise it will solidify the tank in people’s cars. But if the same fuel additive is introduced into cars in Nigeria, it turns to water once it gets into contact with air.
In essence, Kyari said, what is required by law to be introduced in one country, it is also required by law not to be introduced in another country.
He added that in the case of Nigeria, the country has standard regulatory agencies such as the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), whose job is to ensure that every product that comes into this country meets the required products specifications and standards.
“I believe these regulatory agencies are doing their job. They have not come back to tell anyone that we have substandard products in the country,” Kyari told the audience.
The NNPC Ltd helmsman said the Company has already taken the necessary legal and security steps to ensure that people (behind such video) don’t mess up the country.
He said the implications of such acts are not only on NNPC Ltd anymore but more about messing up the whole country.
Kyari, who maintained that people can have their frustrations, cautioned that falsehood should never be extended into business.
The GCEO also debunked reports claiming that NNPC Ltd has imported 200 million litres of fuel in February this year.
“These are just lies, because we didn’t even import products within that window that the report was published. All the mischief about aligning this fictitious importation with the so-called low-quality fuel are just baseless,” he stated.
He explained that importation is a normal practice in the Industry, as every country imports petroleum products, including the United States.
He said Nigeria has supplied petroleum products to countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which doesn’t mean that there are no refineries in those countries.
Earlier in an address, Kyari charged members of the Nigerian Mining & Geosciences Society (NMGS) to embrace new technologies and foster a culture of continuous improvement in order to maximise the nation’s natural resources and generate more revenue for the country.
The Conference, which has as its theme “Transformation of the Mineral, Energy, Water, and Construction Sectors through Innovation”, focused on conversations around mining industry reforms, policy enhancements, and broader public appreciation of geoscience’s role in national development.
NEWS
Senate Corrects Errors In 2025 Budget, Adjusts Key Allocations
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In a move to correct discrepancies in the 2025 Appropriations Bill, the Senate has revised several budgetary allocations after errors were discovered during the final cleaning and realignment process by the Joint Committee on Appropriations.
The adjustments, which primarily affected recurrent expenditure, pensions, and capital projects, were necessary to ensure fiscal accuracy. Key revisions include:
Ministry of Defence: Reduced from ₦2.51 trillion to ₦2.49 trillion
Ministry of Police Affairs: Adjusted from ₦1.225 trillion to ₦1.224 trillion
Total Pensions, Gratuity, and Retirement Benefits: Increased from ₦950 billion to ₦1.44 trillion
Military Pensions and Gratuities: Revised from ₦252.6 billion to ₦383.9 billion
National Pension Commission (PENCOM): Increased from ₦529.4 billion to ₦804.7 billion
Similarly, the Senate made reductions in capital allocations for several key ministries:
Presidency: Cut from ₦144.4 billion to ₦142.7 billion
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security: Reduced from ₦1.95 trillion to ₦1.83 trillion
Federal Ministry of Works: Adjusted from ₦2.04 trillion to ₦2 trillion
Federal Ministry of Education: Decreased from ₦953.9 billion to ₦944.6 billion
READ MORE: BREAKING: Reps Approves N54.99trn 2025 Budget
Despite these changes, the overall budget size remains ₦54.99 trillion, with allocations for Statutory Transfers (₦3.64 trillion) and Debt Service (₦14.31 trillion) left unchanged.
However, Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure has increased to ₦13.58 trillion, while Capital Expenditure has been adjusted downward to ₦23.43 trillion.
Citing Orders 1(B) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders (2023, as amended), the Senate resolved to rescind its earlier decision on the affected line items and the bill’s long title.
The corrected bill has now been recommitted to the Committee of Supply for reconsideration and final passage.
Lawmakers say the corrections are necessary to ensure the budget is implemented with greater accuracy and fiscal responsibility.
NEWS
NNPC Declares Recruitment Exercise Successful
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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has declared its recently concluded recruitment exercise successful.
The state oil major made the claim in a statement via its socials on Monday, in which, its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed that offer letters for employment would be issued to successful candidates.
He maintained that the recruitment exercise was conducted with the utmost fairness, transparency, and rigour.
He wrote, “NNPC Limited is delighted to announce the successful conclusion of its recruitment exercise, which was conducted with the utmost fairness, transparency, and rigour, and is highly regarded as one of the best in the country.
ALSO READ: BOF Receives Donation Of Medical Equipment From NNPC-SNEPCo
“Following this completion, successful candidates will be receiving their appointment letters.”
He expressed gratitude to all applicants who participated in the process, and hope that those who were not successful at the instance, “will look forward to future opportunities”.
“We express our sincere gratitude to all applicants who participated in the process. We are hopeful that those who were not selected this time will look forward to future opportunities with NNPC Limited.
“We continue to uphold our commitment to excellence and equal opportunity in our hiring processes as we strive to build a world-class energy company,” the statement concluded.